Thomas Wolfe said, "You Can't Go Home Again." Well he was wrong. After a
routine follow-up with my Dr. today, I drove by the house I grew up in.
My Dr. is in Duluth, Ga., I live in Jonesboro, Ga. an easy hour drive
across town. My appointment was for two fifteen, so, by the time I
finished the visit, I was looking at driving through downtown Atlanta
during afternoon traffic. That was a thought I didn't relish.
Quick-minded as I am, I weighed my options. I could find my place in
traffic or since I had grown up on this side of town, I could visit my
childhood memories. Normally being one to push forward, I decided to
look back, turned on Buford Highway and headed for Norcross. My parents
moved us from Buckhead to Doraville just before I started third grade. I
attended Norcross Elementary, Summerour, Jr-High and then Norcross
High. I guided my car into the right lane and slowed down, not because
I'm an elderly driver but because I was on Memory Lane, taking in the
sights. I passed two of the four schools I attended and as I approached
my old sub-division, my mind was flooded with memories of the "good old
days."
When I was a child, there was a little store on the corner of Buford
Highway and the street leading into my subdivision. I remembered all the
times I had walked (it was safe then) to this store, sometimes after
playing hookey from school. Those were the days when my thirty-five cent
lunch money would buy a feast for a young lad like me. My purchase
would often include Kick-A Poo joy juice, 16 ounce Co-Cola or Pepsi
(just ten cents), a Polar Bar (a nickel), and a pack of Beeman's Clove
Chewing Gum (another nickel). A bargain at twenty cents, I still could
buy a pack of bar-b-que potato chips. Thinking back, I wanted to stop my
car, go in and pay $1.59 for a 20 ounce Co-Cola. Unfortunately, while
the building is still there, the business has long since closed.
Turning left onto Edward Street, I again slowed down, looking right and
left trying to remember which was Dennis's house, Max's house and, I was
a little uncertain. Not, because I'm getting older, but because the
houses didn't look quite the same. The yards and the houses both seemed
much smaller.I passed the house the Poole's lived in and there on the
left was the sports complex. I was looking at the Womack's old home.
There on the side of their house was the football field. Not quite as
wide as I remember or as long but we spent many great afternoons between
their house and the neighbors passing, catching, running and scoring
touchdowns until Mama called "Larry, Billy, time to come home. It's
supper time!" I still prefer supper to dinner anytime. It just tastes
better in the mouth of a southern boy. Wayne, Deborah, Darlene, Billy
and I along with the other kids in the neighborhood would play until the
lightning bugs had to light our way home. Wayne, Deborah and Darlene's
backyard was Yankee Stadium.I was a Yankee fan. What kid was not, with
Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra all on one team?
I must have been Mickey's biggest fan. I had even adorned my bicycle
spokes with his baseball cards. The house between the Womack's and ours
was where Susan lived and later, Wanda and Larry. First love bloomed
many times on Edward Street. I didn't pretend not to like girls, I
thought they were Tony Tiger, G-r-r-r-reat!
I applied my brake and stopped in front of my old home. The downhill
driveway was still there. I rode my skateboard (yes, we had them then)
down that driveway many times. I could still see in my minds eye, my
Mom's old Galaxie, and later her Fairlane sitting in that driveway,
parking brake on. There just to the left of the front door was where
Mom's main flower garden was. Boy, did she have a green thumb! It was
the most beautiful flower garden I can remember. And, I do remember as
my brother and I were the main weed pullers whether we liked it or not.
Just to the right of the house, was where our cement fish pond was. At
times our fish lived in it. At other times our 12" plus pet alligator
lived there. We didn't have to go to the zoo then. Being the Tarzan fan I
am, I was thrilled when we found a squirrel monkey in the bushes under
our bedroom windows. Now I didn't have to send my money to the address
on the back of the comic book to get one. A neighbor, a street over, had
a pet kinkajou. With a menagerie of alligators, monkeys and kinkajous,
why go to the zoo?
I could still see the old swing we had in front of the cement pond but,
alas, the swing is not there. The monkey bushes are not there and Mom's
beautiful flower garden is missing. Mama must have a beautiful flower
garden in heaven today and I would gladly pull the weeds here or in
heaven just to see her or her garden. I miss Mama and Daddy but I will
see them again in heaven one day.
There was a hispanic man raking and cleaning at the end of the driveway.
I got out of my car and went to say hello. I explained who I was and
why I had come. He told me he had lived there for two years and said I
could walk in the backyard if I wanted.
I remembered Billy and I digging holes, taking our plastic golf clubs
and balls and being magically transformed into Arnold Palmer and Gary
Player. I could see the spot where Billy set up wash tubs and I my
guitar. We were the Beatles and at times Johnny Cash signing "Ring of
Fire." I still could see where we found our meteorite (only kids in our
school that had one). That meteorite was just as neat as my
formaldehyded tonsils.
I look back and I'm glad we didn't have cell phones, Ipod Touches, WII's
and XBoxes. Our imaginations carried us to many greater adventures.
Those purple stumped toes we got from football or other competitive
sports were medals of honor. Playing with green army men, BB guns and
our bow and arrow was much better than the electronic toys of today.
I thanked my new friend and slowly walked back to my car, to start working my way to Jonesboro.
The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 12: 1-2, "Therefore we also, since we
are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with
endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God."
As I've said, I'm not normally one to live life looking in the rear-view
window, but, today was a good day. I am normally pushing ahead running
the race that is before me because I know that when I finish the race,
I'll see Jesus, and Mama, and Daddy and Granny and maybe Mama's new
flower garden and maybe, just maybe, I'll see a ten cent 16 ounce
Co-Cola.